Memory

Now, as always, so much of how a student learns is judged by the student’s ability to remember information that was provided. There was a time when I felt that there was nothing you could do to enhance memory skills. Basically, “What you see is what you get.” In other words, if you couldn’t show either in written or verbal tense, the information that was expected to be remembered, then you just didn’t know it.

Years ago, when I began working privately with students with learning problems, I would test them for visual memory abilities. I found that most of the students I tested were weak in this area, usually several grade levels below the norm. I decided to try to help these kids strengthen their visual memory abilities. I discovered many things.

First, I found out that memory skills can indeed be strengthened. Like working out and building up muscles, a person can work memory “muscles” and build it up for use in academic areas.

Second, I found out that almost all of the kids I worked with (kids with learning problems) had poor visual memory and often poor auditory memory skills.

Next, I discovered that along with the other areas I worked with, as visual memory and auditory memory improved, reading, writing, spelling, and math improved, as well as grades in school. Although I didn’t specifically provide any academic tutoring, nonetheless, these academic areas improved dramatically.

Finally, as I pondered and researched why so many kids were poor in these memory areas, I came to this conclusion. Our society is extremely fast paced today. Children today do not have to hold very many images in their minds. We have instant messaging, high speed internet, satellite television, and even fast food. Life is fast and kids today don’t have a chance to wait for something and visualize choices while they are waiting.

Today’s child rarely plays kick the can until dark, rides horses for hours, rolls down hills, or hangs upside down from trees on a regular basis. Part of this is simply for safety reasons. But the kids of yesterday, who spent long afternoons playing cops and robbers has been replaced with a technological savvy child who spends hours each day on the internet, watching television, playing video games, or being strapped in a moving vehicle on his/her way to an organized sport or activity (with a private television screen in the seat ahead to keep from being bored.)

Visual memory is the ability to remember what was seen. Individuals with poor visual memory find it difficult to recall visual images immediately or after a long period of time. Most of us take visual memory for granted. If we look at something and then look away from it, we can hold it in our memory. Children who have visual memory problems can’t do this or can’t do it well.

So much of a child’s day at school centers around the use of visual memory abilities. The teacher will write a work on the board, discuss the meaning, and erase it. The student is expected to know the word, its meaning, and its spelling. Copying sentences can be a horrible chore for a student weak in visual memory. Even letter formation can be difficult, such as distinguishing the differences between a b, d, p, or q. These children spend the school day and beyond constantly frustrated because reading, writing, math, and spelling (especially spelling) demand a high degree of visual memory.

Auditory memory is another memory ability that has previously been mentioned. It is the ability to recall information that has been given orally. Auditory memory problems are difficult to identify. If a student looks to be engaged, then the teacher assumes the student is listening and comprehending what is being said. If there is an auditory memory problem, the student may be listening, but there is no “Velcro” to hold in the information. It’s as if the information passes right through the student’s ears and bypasses the brain. Bits and pieces may be remembered, but that is all.

I am finding more and more students who are weak in auditory memory as well as visual memory. As these areas are exercised and strengthened, amazing things happen. The student acquires that much needed “Velcro” and starts holding both visual and auditory information in his/her mind. This directly affects school work.

There are so many activities that are known to help both visual and auditory memory. Schools would better serve our learning disabled students by using these activities instead of using a pull out program and presenting watered down academics instead of activities that will actually correct memory weaknesses.

As far as learning goes, there is another memory worth mentioning. It is called working memory. Working memory is the ability to hold several facts or thought in memory temporarily while solving a problem or performing a task. Working memory is required to understand spoken language, to comprehend what is read, to write (compose), problem solving, and some math skills. Obviously, if a child’s working memory is weak, then learning problems are sure to crop up.

I haven’t conducted any formal studies, but I have found that the kids I work with come to me with weak visual, auditory, and working memory abilities. I always start with brain retraining and visual skills training and then move to auditory training. For some reason, the working memory ability seems to fall in place.

To remember information presented is crucial for academic success as well as life success. Children can and should be taught how to enhance these crucially important skills.

The Activities

The two main activities for memory development that I use will be explained here.

1.) The first activity is quite simple. It is a visual memory activity that requires just plain white paper and markers or crayons.

First, draw a combination of about four shapes, letters, numbers, or symbols on a piece of paper.

Hold this combination up to the student so that he/she can see it for about 5 to10 seconds. Cover it up.

Have the student draw from memory what you held up.

Then check to see if the student missed any. If the student continues to miss some, then this is the appropriate level. If the student gets every set that you give him/her correct, then move on to five combinations. Continue in this way until the student gets good at the specified number and then add a number of symbols.

2.) The second activity requires nothing but your imagination. You will want to work on auditory memory. You will simply give a series of 3 or 4 words to the student. The student is to remember them and tell them to you immediately.

I try to vary the word choices. I will combine verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc.
I will also take into consideration the level of the student. If the student is young, I will keep it simple, using only one or two syllable words. If the student is older I choose more difficult words.

The words should be unrelated.

A sample of words to give might be: bicycle, running, difficult, sunny

If the student can remember four words easily, then bump it up to five words. If the student has a difficult time with four words, then scale back to three words. As the student becomes more proficient, slowly add another word.